Three parents show up for hearing on lean Carroll schools budget

The Carroll County school board is considering a budget for next year that would slash 40 teaching positions and increase class size — options that usually rile up parents en masse.

But only three parents showed up at the board's hearing Wednesday night to urge the members to protect teaching positions by looking for cuts in the central office, reducing unnecessary spending, and continuing with plans to open Manchester Valley High School on time.

Michele Johnson of Mount Airy said the school system has many alternatives to cutting teaching positions. They could freeze open positions in the central office or encourage employees who makes more than $80,000 to take a 20 percent pay cut, Johnson said.

Instead of spending $20,000 on retiree recognition lunches, for example, the system could encourage potluck parties, Johnson said. Administrators can maybe use e-mail more often to cut down on $66,000 in postage, she said.

She also questioned the $800,000 that the school system spends on contracted services, and pointed out that in many cases (in areas such as auditing or legal services), the school system has full-time employees who are supposed to provide these services.

Johnson encouraged officials to take tips for trimming the budget from other school systems. In Frederick County, for example, Superintendent Linda Burgee has asked all staff members to submit ideas to trim expenses, Johnson said.

The hearing was the first of two opportunities for the public to comment on Superintendent Charles Ecker's proposed $336 million budget for fiscal 2010, which starts July 1.

The budget this year is the leanest that the school system has had in a decade, and features $3.4 million worth of proposed cuts.

Because of shortages in state and county and county funding, which came out after Carroll County schools put together their proposed budget, school officials may have to cut even more.

The board is scheduled to approve the operating budget on Feb. 25.

Officials and parents at the hearing acknowledged the low attendance at the hearing, and said it may have been due to the fact that it occurred on a snow day when schools were closed. The hearing had already been rescheduled once, from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 because of bad weather.

Board President Barbara Shreeve said she hopes more parents come to the second budget hearing at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at South Carroll High School.

Parent comments on Wednesday revolved around the issue of spending less and preparing for the future.

Jerry Brunst, a former Board of Education candidate, said the school system could save by reducing large salary increases and the percentage that the school system matches in employee benefits.

In the past, the school system has given up to 7 percent salary increases, but in the current uncertain budget times, that is no longer a good idea, he said. "This is what is killing our budget, he said. "We can't continue to do that each an every year."

Donna Oursler, PTA president at Ebb Valley Elementary, came to the hearing to voice concerns about a rumor that the school system may delay the opening of Manchester Valley Elementary School in North Carroll County.

The school, which is slated to open in August, appears in the school system's operating budget, because the school system needs startup funds for the new building. The school system plans to spend $5.2 million to staff, furnish and equip the new school with technology.

Oursler said she is concerned because this makes the school look like a big-ticket item the school system could do without. But she said the project is vital to the community because it will relieve the overcrowding in North Carroll High School.

"The community has prepared itself for that change," she said. "Do not delay the opening of this high school."

Ecker said that the school system has no plans to delay the project. "I am not recommending that," he said. "It is needed in that community. We have been planning for it and people expect it."